Fullmetal Alchemist: A Brother's Journey
by xXRocketShark216Xx
Summary: Edward and Winry's three sons Elijah, Aaron, and Jared had a pretty normal life-until Aaron decided to use alchemy to try and ressurect a dead Alphonse! Now, Elijah must take up alchemy-the very science he opposes-in order to find the Philosphers Stone again and restore his brothers. Along the way, the three brothers learn the value of friendship. Rated T.
1. Chapter 1-Prologue

**Fullmetal Alchemist: A Brother's Journey Chapter 1: Prolouge**

**AN: Hello everyone, and welcome to my first ever FMA fanfiction. This is an AU story taking place after the 2003 series, but with a slight change in the ending. In this version of the timeline, Alphonse got his body back using the Philosopher's Stone but it dissapeared afterwards, Edward never died, and Gluttony still ate Dante. Now, 20 years later, Edward and Winry are married and they live in a automail store/repair shop with their three sons-16 year old Elijah, 14 year old Aaron, and 12 year old Jared. Elijah takes after Winry and is an expert automail mechanic, while Aaron and Jared take after their father and they are training to become alchemists. After an incident with alchemy that results in Aaron losing his arm and getting an automail replacement and Jared losing his entire body and having his soul bound to a sword, Elijah sets out with his younger brothers in tow on a quest to restore them. This is just a prolouge to sort of get the flow going. Also this is my 1st FMA fanfiction so please leave constructive critiscism only. No flames and no trolls! Alright, let's jam! (Wrong anime catchphrase, I know, but I gotta snatch a Bebop reference when I see one.)**

Elijah's POV

Hello. My name is Elijah Elric. I'm 16 years old, and I live with my mom, dad, and two younger brothers, Aaron and Jared. Our dad is famously known as the Fullmetal Alchemist, and our mom is the best mechanic in the world. Well, I'd like to think so. I was a mechanic, and as such I spent my days helping mom run the family automail shop, Winry Elric's Automail Shop. Not a revolutionary name by any means but what can I say? Anyway, I helped mom run the store while Aaron and Jared spent their days studying alchemy. I always thought alchemy was stupid. I don't disrespect dad or anything, I just don't think anything good can come from it. Turns out I was right. Before I can tell you more, allow me to go back a bit. It all started like any regular day. I was sleeping peacefully when I was awoken by the light coming through the window in the loft that served as my bedroom. I had stayed in the room ever since I turned thirteen. This had immediatley attracted envy from Aaron and Jared, who, at eleven and nine years old, thought staying in the loft was the coolest thing ever. I, on the other hand, was horribly afraid of it, but by the time I turned fourteen, I had gotten more than used to it. However, I still had yet to get used to the light from the window. It had woken me up every day for the past three years. No matter how many times I covered the window up with a sheet or blanket, Aaron always undid it to screw with me. Aaron was my first younger brother; I'd known him for fourteen years, and while we were very close, he always tried to annoy me any way he could. Needless to say, Jared was the more endearing of the two. Anyway, I awoke to see light flooding the room. I immediatley yawned before stretching out my arms and legs, when my foot hit something at the edge of the bed. It flew down to the ground, landing on the hardwood floor. I sat up immediatley and scurried to the edge of the bed, peering over to see the source of the noise. It was a thick book labeled "A Super-Ultra-Mega-Advanced Guide to Repairing Automail Volume 10: the Thickest Volume Yet". I immediatley chuckled at my nerdiness as well as the title of ghe book; I had always been the more intellectual of the three siblings. Aaron was more of the recklessly adventurous type and Jared was the innocent, selfless animal lover. I realized that I must have fallen asleep while reading again. Mom always used to lecture me about staying up too late while reading, but she just didn't understand. I was not satisfied with simply helping her run the store; I wanted to work there full time and eventually open a store of my own. Automail had so many applications-it was very helpful to people and I aspired to find new ways to use it during my youth. I slid out of my covers and got out of bed, my feet immediatley curling up in response to the cold floor. I didn't get it; sunlight was literally pouring through the windows so the floor should have been warm; then again, by that logic, it should've been scorching hot. I then looked toward my window and I was nearly blinded. I quietly swore before opening my eyes to see that the light was not from the sun, but was instead from an array of mirrors hanging from the roof. Staring back at me in one of the mirrors was a tall boy standing at about 5'9 with brown straight hair and blue eyes. This boy was me. I was wearing a grey bandana over top of my head; it covered the top of my hair and most of the back but two short bangs stuck out in the front. I was wearing nothing but a white sleeveless tank top and my underwear. I then turned my attention to another mirror to see a boy with blonde hair in a braided ponytail with two bangs in the front with a part in the middle and hazel eyes wearing a black t-shirt underneath a blue button down shirt as well as blue shorts. I recognized him immediatley. Aaron! He was on the roof, huddled over a transmutation circle, transmuting mirror after mirror. Another boy with short blonde hair and golden eyes wearing a blue shirt and black shorts was tying the mirrors to a rope and then lowering the rope down to my window. Jared! What the heck were they doing?! They were using alchemy, the most dangerous and unpredictable science ever created, to pull a pratical joke on me. I would be understating if I told you I was just a little pissed off. I turned and angrily stomped over to my dresser, getting out a pair of grey pants before walking to my bedroom door and putting on a pair of black boots. I then opened the door and walked into the stairwell. I then turned to face the top of the stairs, where a ladder to the roof sat. I took a deep breath before grabbing the ladder, ready to confront my younger brothers.

**Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed. In the next chapter Elijah confronts his brothers. Please review! **


	2. Chapter 2-The Visit

**Fullmetal Achemist: A Brother's Journey Chapter 2: The Visit**

**AN: Hey guys, I'm back with chapter 2! Please review! Remember im new to FMA fanfiction so no flames plez. Id also prefer to avoid straight-up praise since these types of reviews are either written by trolls or pepl who r 2 nice to voice any of their negative opinions. Constructive critiscism is what im searching for-tell me what you like, what you dont like, and what i should change. Alright, now that my rant is over, 3-2-1. Lets jam! God I love Cowboy Bebop! **

Elijah's POV

As I climbed up the ladder leading up to the roof, I could hear laughter. I became increasingly more angry as I climbed to the top. I soon reached the top but I forgot to open the hatch before I climbed up, causing me to hit my head. I winced as my mouth automatically opened, my body instinctively preparing to scream. However, I could not collect my breath. When I did scream, it sounded like a little girl. Aaron and Jared must have heard this, because their laughter grew louder. I then heard a deep laughter from the roof followed by a distinctly low voice that belonged to neither Aaron nor Jared. Aaron's voice was a mess-his voice had just began to crack so one moment he would sound like an evil demon lord and the next he would sound like Rachael Tringham, a little girl living across the street who was about 11 or so with the squeakiest voice imaginable who had a super obvious crush on Jared. Jared, who had only just turned 12 a few weeks ago, had a bit more normal voice when compared to Aaron-high but not so high you wanted to tape his mouth shut. This voice, however, was neither consistently high nor all over the place. It was low. It sort of sounded like...Dad! Dad was up there! Which meant...he approved of their practical joke on me! Then again, this came as no surprise. Our dad was a fun dad-he could be mean and strict when it was necessary, but whenever we were behaving, he was fun. He didn't shower us with gifts like most parents-instead he just spent time with us, joking around with us, laughing, that sort of thing. Our mom on the other hand, was more of the strict type. She wasn't mean, she just always made sure we knew what laws and rules were in place. If there was a line you could cross, she would outline it with blood to make sure we knew it was bad. Not literally. Anyway, that was Dad, meaning that he was partly to blame for waking me up. I finally climbed up to the roof and I immediatley yelled in anger.

"What the hell is going on up here?!"

Aaron and Dad both laughed and Jared let out a nervous chuckle before timidly responding.

"We...we...we needed you awake..."

I then responded.

"So you used mirrors to nearly blind me?!"

Aaron then chimed in.

"Yes. But don't get mad at us, it was Dad's idea."

Dad then responded.

"Some son you are. Blame your old man at the first sign of trouble. Come here."

Dad proceeded to grab Aaron and put him in a headlock before giving him a noogie. He then let him go and Aaron let out a quiet "ow" before sitting down on the roof. Dad laughed and then spoke.

"In all serious, Eli, we could not get you awake. I don't know if you forgot or something, but today's the day."

I then gave him a puzzled look before responding in a slow, confused tone.

"The day? What day?"

"The day of the trip. You forgot? Your Uncle Alphonse and I are taking you three on an all guys camping trip."

I immediatley grinned at the mention of our Uncle. Uncle Alphonse was a huge part of our lives; unlike most brothers, Alphonse and our dad had maintained a healthy relationship after they both settled down. I could not remember a single big event in mine, Aaron, or Jared's lives that Alphonse had not been a part of. Our first steps, first words, our first injuries-he was there for it all. Alphonse lived by himself-he used to have a wife, but she died a few years before Jared was born. Alphonses was a fun uncle-he was just like Dad, but minus all of the punishments and scolding. His visits were always proceeded by excitement and impatience and his departures were always followed by sadness and boredom. He also spoiled us like crazy-nearly every time he came to visit we were showered with gifts. Heck, he even bought me my first automail part kit when I was 11. I then responded.

"So, when are we leaving?"

"As soon as your Uncle Al shows up. He should be here within the hour. You three ought to go downstairs and wait; your mother was cooking breakfast the last time I saw her."

The three of us turned to our dad and nodded in unison before turning around and heading back inside. I was the first to reach the bottom of the ladder and I spoke as Aaron climbed down.

"So, mirrors, huh? What's next, flaming arrows?"

Aaron sarcastically responded.

"Nah. We tried that one already."

"You guys followed that special rule, didn't you? The rule of equal swapping or whatever?"

Jared immediatley spoke in a condescending tone from the top of the ladder wher he was now climbing.

"It's called The Law of Equivelent Exchange, Elijah. And it's not just some special rule. It is the principle on which the foundation of all alchemy resides. In order to obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's first and most important law."

Aaron then spoke.

"And yes, we did follow it. We aren't just using alchemy for some cheap joke-Jared and I are serious about alchemy. And besides, do you really think Dad would let us transmute anything if we didn't follow the rule? I mean, wasn't that what made him lose his arm?"

I then responded.

"No, that happened because he and Uncle Alphonse tried to use alchemy to bring their mom back to life. Alchemy is a dangerous, ancient, and useless science that you should not be fooling around with!"

"What, and automail isn't just as useless?!"

"Aaron, if I remember correctly, automail is what puts food on the table around here. So it seems pretty useful to me!"

Jared then interjected in a timid tone.

"Guys, do we really have to fight about this?"

Aaron then responded.

"Jared, I don't know if you noticed, but he is bashing our dad's way of life."

"Well you're disrespecting our livelihood. Automail is what keeps up alive. Alchemy is an old, tired, and taboo science that needs to die already."

Jared then spoke.

"Stop fighting!"

Aaron then responded.

"Sheesh. You sound like a girl. Always telling the boys and men to stop arguing. Pff. Women. Who needs em?!"

I then responded.

"I certainly don't."

Aaron then spoke.

"I guess Lily will have to find somebody else to marry."

My cheeks burned bright red at the mention of Lily. Aaron was of course referring to Lily Thomas, the daughter of Rosé Thomas, a family friend who was the Holy Mother of a desert town named Liore. Lily and I had been friends since we were both toddlers, and mom and dad had always jokingly said that we would get married someday. This didn't bother me until a few years ago when I realized that I had a crush on her. One day it just dawned on me thate her tan mocha colored skin and long cyan hair with white bangs stuck out to me as being really pretty. Apparently I wasn't too good at hiding my feelings, because everyone, including her mom Rosé, would not shutup about our supposed future wedding. In order to compensate so Lily wouldn't figure it out, I started teasing her a lot. Unlike most girls, she took all I dished out and tossed it back. There was no way she liked me. Even if she did, we were both too busy to be in a relationship. I was too engrossed in automail and she was too busy training to suceed her mom as the Holy Mother of Liore. It would never work. I instantly defended myself.

"What are you even suggesting?"

Jared then chimed in.

"Yeah Aaron. It's not like he likes her or anything. Baka!"

I quickly elbowed Jared and then casually walked downstairs as if I had not done anything. We all three headed to the kitchen table where mom had laid out breakfast. We then all three quietly ate. When we were done mom came in and said goodbye. Soon there was a knock at the door. One thing was for sure-our uncle had arrived.

Hey guys. Hope you enjoyed. Please review!


	3. Chapter 3-The Loss

Fullmetal Alchemist: A Brother's Journey Chapter 3: The Loss

AN: Hey guys, I'm back with chapter 3. Please review!

Aaron's POV

Hello. My name is Aaron Elric. I'm 14 years old, I live with my mom, dad, and two brothers, and I just made the biggest mistake of my life. It all started a few weeks after the trip. Things seemed pretty normal for a while. Jared and I spent most of our days in the basement reading all of Dad's alchemy books while Elijah helped out in the store. Heck, we even got a few gifts in the mail from Uncle Alphonse. We thought that nothing would ever change. We were wrong. Alphonse died. We couldn't believe it. Here we were, standing in a cemetary, staring at a stupid cold stone with the words "Here lies Alphonse Elric-Beloved Husband, Brother, and Uncle." chiseled in it. I hated it. I wanted to fall to the ground and beat the stupid thing with my fists. I wanted to scream. But I couldn't. All I could do was whisper.

"Give me...give me my uncle back..."

The rest of the funeral went normally. They read the report. Some State Alchemists who were friends with him did an honorary transmutation. Then everyone started leaving. After awhile, even Elijah left. But Jared and I stayed. A few hours after the funeral, my legs went numb, so I fell on my knees. I didn't care if my pants got dirty. Only mom could care about that at a time like this. I soon felt a hand touch my shoulder. It was Jared. He spoke.

"Let's go home and get some rest. We need it."

I then responded.

"No! Rest is stupid. I'm not resting until he comes back. I know he will..."

"He isn't coming back, Aaron."

"We can bring him back."

We spent the next two days studying human transmutation. Sure it was taboo, but alchemist had recently discovered a way to make it work without it going wrong. Too bad it still did. We gathered all the ingredients in a giant bowl and put it in the center of the floor. We drew a transmutation circle around it. We were all set. I then spoke.

"There. Everything we need to make a human. But it will be nothing without a soul We need to call Alphonse's soul to us."

Jared timidly responded.

"And how will we do that?"

"Blood. It's the only way."

He nodded and we both pricked our fingers overtop of the bowl. We then looked at eachother and I spoke.

"You ready for this?"

"I just want everyone to be happy again..."

"They will be. But we have to bring him back. I promise it will be ok."

Jared nodded and we both put our hands on the circle. That was the worst thing we ever did. For a while it seemed like it was working. But soon thing started to go wrong. I felt a million cold arms grab my limbs and start pulling. It was God. It was the Earth. It was Satan. We didn't know. All we knew was that we had crossed a line, and this was our punishment. Within a matter of seconds, my left leg was nothing but a memory. I screamed in pain and turned to where Jared was before speaking.

"Jared I was wrong! This was all my fault! But Eli...he can fix them! We'll never use alchemy again. Jared speak to me! Where are you?!"

He wasn't there. His clothes laid huddled on the floor. His body was gone. I did what I had to. I sacrificed my right arm to bind his soul to the only thing I had handy-a sword. It was a nightmare. I screamed in pain and soon the door to the basement opened. Elijah ran down to us and turned towards the stairs, screaming for our parents. I used my last ounce of strength to hug the sword tightly before whispering.

"It's ok Jared...your ok...I was too arrogant...I'm sorry..."

That was the last thing I remembered before I blacked out.

Hey guys, sorry for the short chapter. I promise the next one will be longer.


	4. Chapter 4-And So It Begins

Fullmetal Alchemist: A Brother's Journey Cbapter 4: And So It Begins...

AN: Hey guys, sorry for the wait. Please review!

Aaron's POV

So, after several days, I finally woke up. I could hear voices dowwnstairs, arguing. I heard Dad speak.

"Eli, you can't do that! It's crazy!"

Elijah then responded.

"I know it's crazy, but I have to do it. Its the only way to restore them."

Mom then spoke.

"Elijah Alphonse Elric, you wait just one minute! This alchemy stuff is what got them into trouble in the first place, and now you're gonna take it up to find a stone from 16 years ago?!"

Elijah then spoke.

"Yes. And I'm bringing Aaron with me."

"What?"

"I said I'm bringing Aaron with me! I have to face facts-I'm an automailer, not an alchemist. But Aaron is. He'l be able to help. It's his fault anyway."

Elijah walked upstairs and opened my door. He then spoke.

"Good. You're awake."

I then responded.

"What's going on?"

"Well, Jared's a sword, you have automail limbs now, and we're going to Liore to find a lead on the Philospher's Stone."

"We?"

"Yes, we. You're gonna teach me alchemy-all of it. And then we'll find that stone and be done with alchemy forever. You hear me? Forever. After this, no Elric will ever use alchemy again."

"I guess. When do we leave?"

"Now. Pack your things and say goodbye to Jared."

He left and I got up. I looked down at myself-where my right arm and left leg used to be sat metal limbs. Elijah was right-I'd crossed a line, and now I was practically a robot, just like Dad was. I was surprised to find that my automail limbs were easy to move. I moved with just as much ease as I did when I still had my real limbs. I packed a bag and then headed downstairs. Sitting at the kitchen table were Mom and Dad. Jared was on the table. Mom then spoke.

"Aaron, thank god you're up! Now go tell your older brother he's gone off the rails! Go on, tell him!"

I then took a deep breath before responding.

"I...I can't. Look, it's all my fault. I talked Jared into this. I thought that because I wasn't Dad that everything would work out. I have to find that stone so we can get Jared his body back! I don't expect you guys to understand. It's just something I have to do."

Mom then nodded, tears in her eyes. It was hard, doing this to them. But I knew what I had to do. Just then, Jared spoke up.

"Well, I'm coming too."

I then spoke.

"Jared, you can talk?!"

"Duh. I may be a sword now, but I still have a soul."

"Oh yeah."

Mom then spoke.

"Jared Trysten Elric, you listen here! It's bad enough your brothers have gone bonkers! There's no way I'm letting you go too!"

"Mom, I have to. I have to get Aaron's body back to normal. And besides...with the ammount of crime these days, those two will need a sword."

Dad then spoke.

"It's settled, then. You guys are gonna go find that stone. Be careful. As soon as you get to Liore, visit Aunt Rose. She shouldn't be too busy."

I then spoke.

"We will. Don't forget, Eli's gotta have his yearly visit with Lily or he'll really go off the rails."

Elijah, who was within earshot, responded.

"Shutup already!"

I laughed. Soon we were outside, all set up. Elijad and I were on horses-mine had most of our gear and Elijah had a few essentials. He also had Jared in a scabbard on his back. Jared then spoke.

"Eli, could you hurry up? I'm not exactly comforatable in this scabbard."

"Would you stop complaining? After all, most weapons don't complain."

"Well most swords don't have the souls of pissed off brothers inside them."

Soon mom and dad said goodbye and we left. We had no idea what the road ahead had in store, but one thing was clear.

The Elric Brothers were back on the road again.


	5. Chapter 5-Traveling to Liore

Fullmetal Alchemist: A Brother's Journery Chapter 5: Traveling to Liore

AN: Hey guys, chapter 5 is up. Please review!

Elijah's POV

It had been three days since our departure. We were in the middle of the desert, traveling ever o slowly to our destination. Now we had stopped, trying to determine if we were lost. I was looking around with binoculars, and Aaron was growing impatient. He spoke, ruining my concentration.

"What do you see?"

I replied in a nonchalant tone.

"Sand."

"What else?"

"More sand."

"What do you think you'll see next?"

"More sand! That's what I saw five minutes ago, that's what I see now, and that's what I'm gonna see. Of course, if you don't shutup, I might be seeing your corpse."

"You suck. Why do I have to carry all the heavy stuff, anyway?"

"Because your horse was carrying it until it fell down and died."

"That wasn't my fault!"

"You neglected to feed it for two whole days and kept making it run as fast as possible without a break. What did you expect to happen?"

"You're a real jerk sometimes, you know that?"

"Yeah, and your point is?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure Lily won't marry you if-"

"You listen here, Aaron. I'm tired of this whole 'Lily and you are getting married' talk. I'm warning you right now that I'll be listening to every single little word you say when we get there. If you mention Lily and marriage in the same sentence, they'll find your body in the belltower of the church."

"Rude! I'm pretty sure God doesn't exactly appreciate his church being defiled like that."

"You're an alchemist. I thought you didn't believe in God."

"Just because I'm an alchemist doesn't mean I'm an instant aethist."

"You're missing the point, Aaron! You have to swear not to embarras me in front of her, you understand?"

"Yeah..."

After a couple minutes of silence, Aaron spoke again.

"But I can't guaruntee that YOU won't embarass yourself."

He snickered and I got up and chased him. Jared watched this from on top of my horse before speaking.

"Those two are unbelievable..."

Soon I caught him and was about to beat him up when I collapsed. Realizing I was thirsty, I began looking around. Suddenly I saw a fountain. I immediatley ran to it, speaking while I did.

"Water-water-water-water-water-yeah!"

I lunged toward the fountain, but...

It wasn't water...it...was wine...Aaron grabbed me, preventing me from falling in. I looked around. We were there...we were in Liore. Soon we were greeted by a voice.

"Well, look who we have here. The Elric Brothers."

I looked to see a woman with tan mocha colared skin and brown hair with dyed pink bangs wearing a white dress. It was...Rosé! The Holy Mother of Liore! I then spoke.

"Rosé...hi...we uh..."

"No need to explain yourself, Elijah. You guys are family friends; you can visit anytime. Where's Jared?"

Aaron then spoke.

"It's a long story..."

"Oh. Well, come over to my house and we can talk about it. I'll have Lily set up the guest room for you guys, you must be exhausted."

Aaron nudged me and I spoke.

"Don't you even dare!"

"I wasn't!"

"You were too! You were gonna mention Lily!"

He ran in the direction we came and I spoke.

"Why are you running away?"

"I'm not! I'm getting Jared and all our stuff!"

I sighed; it was typical of Aaron to forget something important until it became convenient to remember. This was gonna be a long day...

Soon, we were all gathered in Rosé's kitchen, eating food at the table. We'd just explained the events to Rosé, who spoke.

"Wow. That sounds pretty bad. So, why come all this way? Aaron and Jared should be resting at home."

I then responded.

"I have to find the stone."

"Eli, are you seriou-"

"Yes, Aunt Rosé. Very. I have to find that stone and restore their bodies! It's my fault, I should've kept track of them after Uncle Al died, I just...I was too busy grieving by myself to help them grieve. I'm so selfish..."

Just then I was interrupted by another voice.

"Eli, I understand you feel the need to help your brothers, but that stone dissapeared before you were even born."

I looked in the entryway to see a girl with tan mocha skin and long cyan hair with bleach white bangs wearing a white dress. Lily! This was Lily Rosé Thomas, daughter of Rosé and, unfortunently for me, the object of my affections. I stood up and responded.

"I don't care, Lily. I will find that stone. I have to. I don't care if it takes weeks. Months. Years even! I'll do whatever I have to do to find it."

Lily then responded.

"Ok, so you're determined to find it by any means necessary. But what about Aaron and Jared? Is it fair to drag them into this?"

"Aaron knew what he and Jared were getting into. It's his fault. Besides, they can handle themselves. Aaron's an alchemist and a fighter, and Jared...well, he's a sword."

Jared then responded.

"I prefer the term 'living art of war'."

"Jared, you're a sword. Shutup."

"Rude."

Lily then spoke.

"Whatever. The room is set up, just in case you were wondering. Only one bed though..."

Aaron responded sarcastically.

"I call big spoon."

He snickered and I groaned; typical Aaron. Always making half-baked jokes and thinking he was a riot. Lily giggled, causing me to groan even more. Rosé then spoke.

"Have you gathered water from the fountain yet? It's about that time again."

Lily then responded.

"I'm getting ready to right now."

I then spoke.

"I'll come with you. I could use the exercise. I spend most of my time repairing automail anyway."

Lily nodded and we left out the door. I was happy to get away from Aaron for awhile. Besides, I could always use an excuse to spend time with her.

Little did I know that this trip was about to become a little too dangerous for my tastes.

And that's it for this one. Chapter 6 will be up soon. Please review!


	6. Chapter 6-Beware the Brothers Elric

Fullmetal Alchemist: A Brother's Journery Chapter 6: Beware the Brothers Elric

AN: Hey guys. I'm back with chapter 6. Please review!

* * *

><p>Elijah's POV<p>

So, after leaving the house, Lily and I headed to the town's second fountain-the one without wine-to gather some water. I spoke.

"You know, if you want, I could carry the buckets back."

"It's ok, Eli. I got it."

I nodded and soon she spoke again.

"Are you really going to chase down that stupid stone?"

I then responded.

"It's the only way, Lil. I have to restore them."

"Yeah, but that stone dissapeared over sixteen years ago. It dissapeared before you were evn concieved. Before I was even concieved. This isn't gonna be easy."

I frowned; Lily was a great girl, hence why I was madly in love with her, but sometimes she was a little too...blunt for my tastes. She always spoke her mind, no matter who was around. Which kinda made it seem as if she shouldn't be taking over as Holy Mother of Liore. Also, she always tok every chance she could to mention her age, like if she didn't remind me every five minutes I would forget that she was 17. I then responded.

"Look, I have to find it. I'll go wherever I have to go to do it."

"You're willing to trot around the country looking for something that may not even exist out there anymore?"

"Not just that. I'm willing to leave country too, if thats what it takes."

"You've officially gone off the rails. Then again, you aren't the only one planning on leaving..."

I then responded.

"You're...thinking of running away?"

She nodded quickly and I responded.

"Why?"

"It's because...I can't take over my mom's job. I mean, I realize she wants it to be a thing to pass on from mother to daughter, it's just...it's not what I wanna do with my life."

"I feel you. I love my dad, but sometimes I feel like he dissaproves of my interest in automail. I guess he wanted me to follow in his footsteps and be an alchemist. But I won't have that problem anymore..."

"What do you mean?"

"Lily, I'm becoming an alchemist. Once we get a lead on the stone...we're catching a train to Central so I can get certified."

"You're crazy. Only adults can be state alchemists."

"Lily, my dad was certified when he was TWELVE. Besides, I think I've got what it takes. It is in my blood."

"How so?"

"My dad was an alchemist, my grandfather was an alchemist, and my...uncle..."

"Eli, I-"

"No, it's ok. It still hurts, but I'm the one who brought it up. It's just...he meant so much to us..."

"It'll be ok. Now about this trip to Central-"

"Don't. You can't convince me not to. If I'm gonna find that stone, I'll need to be able to use alchemy whenever we run out of supplies, and I'll need to be able to make weapons for Aaron and I to defend ourselves."

"You have Jared."

"I'm not so comfortable with the idea of using my youngest brother as a weapon. Look, you're against the idea of us going at all. Now you don't want us to go to Central. What do you want from me?"

"Well, I..."

Lily looked down, a sad look on her face. Now I'd gone and done it! I hurt her feelings! I then responded.

"Lily, I-"

My attempt at making her feel better was interrupted when I saw some supsicious looking men walk up to the entrance of the town. They were all wearing black cloaks. One was a tall man with spiky crimson hair and violet eyes with a deranged look on his face, another was a shorter man with wild black hair and green eyes impatiently tapping his foot, and the last of the three was a man with blonde hair and red eyes with a focused look on his face. I couldn't tell who they were, but I sensed they were dangerous. My instincts kicked in and I, not being able to control myself, grabbed Lily by her waist and pulled her behind one of the buildings. I ended up on top of her and I told her to be quiet. The figures passed and she spoke.

"Eli, could you get off of me? You're causing a scene..."

I blushed, getting up off of her. I helped her up and ducked around the corner, peeking at the new arrivals. I walked out, determined to sneak up on them, but when I reached the adjacent building I felt myself being grabbed. An arm pulled me into the space between the two buildings and I looked to see Aaron, who had Jared on his back inside of the scabbard. He then spoke.

"Eli, those guys are bad news. They're Homunculi."

"Homunculi?! What the hell are those?"

Jared then spoke.

"Elijah, over the years, there have been several alchemists who have been succesful at using alchemy to create human life. However...it's never really right. Homunculi...are incomplete versions of humans."

"And this is bad because..."

Aaron then spoke.

"Homunculi are bad news. They almost always end up turning evil and becoming outlaws. Dad and Uncle Alphonse encountered a group of them before."

I peeked around before speaking.

"Oh my god!"

Aaron then spoke.

"What?!"

"You were right. They're taking the villagers hostage! We gotta stop them!"

I grabbed the scabbard off of Aaron's back and slung it onto mine before running towards the Homunculi. I could hear Lily scream "Wait!" behind me as I ran into danger. But I didn't listen. I walked up to them and spoke.

"Hey, leave these people alone, now!"

The one with the black hair turned and spoke in a crazed voice.

"Who do you think you are?!"

Aaron walked up beside me and I spoke.

"I'm Elijah, and that's Aaron. We're the sons of Edward Elric. The Fullmetal Alchemist."

The one with the red hair gasped before speaking.

"I've heard of that guy! These guys are bad news! What do we do?! What do we do?!"

The one with the black hair spoke.

"Shutup, Murder. We can take 'em."

Murder then responded.

"No you shutup, Rage!"

The one with the blonde hair spoke up.

"Shut the hell up. Both of you! I've heard of your father, but that doesn't mean you're a threat. You're no match for us. Allow me to introduce us to you before we kill you. That's Murder. That's Rage. And I'm Strife...their leader!"

I drew Jared from the scabbard and spoke.

"I understand your point. But I'm not backing down. Leave now, or things will get ugly!"

Strife then responded.

"How...amusing."

He then laughed and I spoke.

"Well, it looks like we understand eachother now. Aaron, let's go!"

Aaron nodded and I ran at Strife. I swung Jared at him but he dodged before pulling out a long knife. He stabbed the air in my direction, nearly hitting me, but I swiftly dodged. Rage pulled out a mace and then swung at me. Again, I barely dodged the attack. Aaron transmuted something on the ground before speaking.

"Eli, catch!"

He threw something at me. I caught it with my free hand and palmed it. I opened up my hand to see the object-a rope with a hook on the end. I swung it around before tossing it at Rage, bowling him over. Murder growled and pulled out a gun. He fired at me a few times but I deflected the bullets using Jared, who spoke.

"Oww! Oww! Oww! I don't appreciate being hit with bullets!"

I then responded.

"You're a sword! What's the worst that can happen-paint chips?"

Jared then spoke.

"Shutup and get that gun out of his hands already! He's not gonna keep missing!"

"Oh, right."

I tossed Jared at Murder's hand, knocking the gun away. Surprisingly Jared flew back in my direction and I caught him. Strife ran at me with his knife and I dodged. Strife then spoke.

"These guys aren't worth our time. Let's scramble."

He ran away with Murder and Rage in tow. I looked on the ground to see he dropped a paper. I picked it up and read it. Aaron then spoke.

"What is it?"

I then responded.

"Aaron, I know where to find that stone."

Soon we were at the nearest train station to Liore, sitting inside of the train. Lily had accompanied us to say goodbye. Aaron and I looked at her out the window. We said goodbye and she spoke.

"Take care!"

I then responded.

"We will!"

Lily then spoke once more.

"Oh, and Eli?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll miss you."

She turned away and I blushed. Aaron laughed at me and I pushed him out of his seat and into the aisle. Soon the train left and started down the tracks. I hummed to myself before noticing it was a little too quiet. I then noticed that Aaron was asleep. I decided to sing a song from my early childhood. When Aaron was little, he used to never be able to stay asleep unless Dad sang him a special lullaby. I then sang as the words came back to me.

_Sever all the pain,_

_From memories plagued in vain,_

_Stop the endless woe you've come to know._

_Find your heart and soul,_

_Break through every wall until you reach your goal._

_Come on, clap your hands and fight until you're finally made whole!_

_Gazing skyward and so sure tommoro will arive,_

_I don't know, how I'll get through by myself,_

_With my heart in a daze._

_The birds beside me soar away until the endless sky._

_Will they find,_

_With their free spirits, the light, at the end of this maze?_

_Please wait!_

_I want to fly with you,_

_Let me on your back to look for my soul._

_All the pain,_

_That haunts me to this day will vanish._

_If I just reach up higher, _

_I'll find what I desire._

_I'll never tire til I-_

_Sever all the pain,_

_From memories plagued in vain,_

_Stop the endless woe you've come to know._

_Find your heart and soul,_

_Break through every wall until you reach your goal._

_Come on, clap your hands and fight until you're finally made whole._

_Come on, clap your hands and fight until you're finally made whole!_

I looked at Aaron, who was smiling in his sleep. I laughed; typical Aaron. He loved his sleep. And I loved mine. Btut I was too tired to sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about everything going on recently. Uncle Alphonse's death, Lily's plan to run away, and most of all, the Homunculi. Were they really searching for the stone, like us? And if they were...would they try and stop us from getting it? I didn't know the answer, but I did know this:

Nothing would stop me from restoring my brothers.

I would find that stone, no matter how many walls I had to break through.

Nothing could stop the Brothers Elric.

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed. Please review!


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